The Joy of Geek Podcast, Episode 72:
The Best of Spider-Man (in Movies, TV and Comics)

On this episode of The Joy of Geek Podcast, we (Rich and Kevin) continue our celebration of the release of Insomniac’s Spider-Man for PS4 with a look back at the very best movies, TV shows and comics starring the famous web-slinger. From the Sam Raimi Trilogy to Homecoming, and from Spider-Man: The Animated Series to Spider-Island, we discuss the broader Spider-Man universe and choose our absolute favorites.

But first, we talk about what we’ve been watching and reading lately, including: American Vandal Season 2, The Dragon Prince, A Simple Favor, Shadowman and Grass Kings by Matt Kindt, and more. We also discuss the new Captain Marvel trailer, Henry Cavill’s indecipherable Superman tweet, a live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender, pics of Joaquin Phoenix as The Joker, and much more.

So join us, as we swing across New York in search of thugs to web up, and celebrate the recent history of Marvel’s most relatable character. This...is The Joy of Geek!

The Joy of Geek Podcast, Special Edition:
Frontier Interview with Filmmaker Elliot Brady

On this Special Edition episode of The Joy of Geek Podcast, we (Rich and Kevin) interview Elliot Brady, the screenwriter of a new short film premiering at the Charlotte Film Festival this weekend. Frontier is the story of a young girl, known only as little, who is inspired by her favorite comic book western to leave her home and family behind to seek adventure - and ultimately danger - in the wilderness. We discuss the 2+ year journey this film took from page to screen, and the seemingly insurmountable challenges its creators had to overcome in the pursuit of art.

So join us, as we take a whirlwind tour through the world of independent film, where industry speak about RED Digital Cameras and Color Correction is commonplace, and the struggle is most certainly real. This...is the Joy of Geek!

***Frontier will premiere this Saturday at Charlotte Film Festival (details here). Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a sample of the film’s soundtrack.***

The Joy of Gaming Podcast, Episode 74:
Insomniac's Spider-Man Review and SpoilerCast and September Nintendo Direct

On this episode of The Joy of Gaming Podcast, we (Rich and Jordan) discuss one of the most anticipated PS4 games of the year, Insomniac's Spider-Man. With a story that picks up 8 years into the career of everybody's favorite web-slinger, Spider-Man is an epic, open-world adventure full of side quests, colorful characters, and satisfying combat, and it's already a massive hit with players and critics alike. We've both played the game from start to finish, and offer our SPOILER-FILLED thoughts on its overall success - both as the latest entry in a long line of Spider-Man games, and as the possible heir-apparent to the superhero video game throne. In other words, is this the Arkham Asylum of the Spider-Man universe? We'll let you know what we think.

But first, we discuss the recent and momentous September Nintendo Direct, which was absolutely jam-packed with new trailers and announcements, including Animal Crossing on Switch, Luigi's Mansion 3, A new character in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Katamari Damacy Reroll, Yoshi's Crafted World, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Gamefreak's new RPG Town, Nintendo Switch Online details, and much more. We also discuss some of the other games we've been playing lately, including Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Messenger, and Into the Breach.

So join us, as we celebrate a spectacular new superhero game, a Nintendo Direct full of surprises, and the un-beatable news that the creators of Danganronpa and Zero Escape just started a new studio together. This...is the Joy of Gaming!

The Joy of Geek Podcast, Episode 71:
Fall Film Season 2018 Preview

On this episode of The Joy of Geek Podcast, we (Rich and Kevin) bring you our epic, 2018 Fall Film Season Preview. And although this fall’s lineup doesn’t include new releases from the MCU, Pixar or Star Wars universes, its still shaping up to be an awesome season for moviegoers. We’ll discuss the most exciting and significant films - from Mortal Engines and Bad Times a the El Royale, to Aquaman, Venom, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and beyond - and offer our thoughts on which ones look most jaw-dropping, epic, surprising and/or dramatically promising.

But first, we discuss some of the latest geek culture news, and wax poetic about the TV shows, movies and comics we’ve been enjoying recently. Our topics include: new Doom Patrol and Star Wars: Episode IX casting announcements, A Quiet Place sequel news, the new Cormoran Strike novel Lethal White, Jack Ryan on Amazon, BBC America’s Killing Eve, The Good Place, Sons of Anarchy, Babyteeth, Prom of the Dead and more.

So join us, as we discuss a number of would-be nominees for the Most Popular Film Oscar, that will now just have to settle for making fans really, really happy. This...is the Joy of Geek!

The Joy of Gaming Podcast, Episode 73:
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Finally), Plagiarism at IGN, and Nintendo Smash Direct

On this episode of The Joy of Gaming Podcast, we (Rich and Jordan) discuss the recent Nintendo Direct and all the exciting new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate news, before diving headlong into the crazy and unprecedented IGN plagiarism scandal involving Filip Miucin. We also finally get around to talking about one of the biggest and best games of this generation, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

And after some quality time chasing down the Wild Hunt, what better to cleanse your 80-hour open-world RPG palatte than with a discussion of the games we've been playing recently on Nintendo Switch and 3DS. They include: WarioWare Gold, Mario and Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Splatoon 2, Toad’s Treasure Tracker, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

So join us, as we marvel at the sheer vastness of Velen (and the intimidating list of Witcher contracts and sidequests contained therein), and then fall in love with Nintendo Switch all over again. This...is the Joy of Gaming!

The Joy of Geek Podcast, Episode 70:
Mission: Impossible - Fallout Review and Series Retrospective

On this episode of The Joy of Geek Podcast, we (Rich, Kevin and Young) are geared-up and ready for action with a review of Mission: Impossible - Fallout, the latest in the sense-shattering spy-action franchise that somehow keeps raising the stakes with each new entry. Fallout is actually the sixth film in the series (and the second directed by Christopher McQuarrie) and it has proved to be an explosive hit with audiences and critics alike.

In our Joy of Geek Review, we look at all aspects of the film, including the narrative, plot twists, cast of characters, action set-pieces, stunts, cinematography, fight choreography, soundtrack and more, and decide how well Fallout fares in the modern movie landscape. We also look back at the previous five Mission: Impossible films - from M:I 1 through Rogue Nation - tracing the lineage of the series and offering our thoughts on the quality of each entry.

And since this is an episode of TJOG, we also take time to discuss the latest geek culture news, and recap what we’ve been watching and reading lately. This week’s topics include: Sharp Objects on HBO, Sons of Anarchy, new pseudo-reality series Castaways, Bloodshot: Salvation, a visit to Blerdcon, Star Trek 4 without Pine and Hemsworth, Ruby Rose as Batwoman, The Oscars' new "Popular Film" category, and more. 

So join us, as we avoid danger (and a number of double-crosses and mask-pulls) to get the perfect review and save the world from certain destruction. This...is The Joy of Geek!

The Joy of Geek Podcast, Episode 69:
San Diego Comic-Con 2018 - Featuring Aquaman, Shazam, Glass, and Titans 

On this episode of The Joy of Geek Podcast, we (Rich and Kevin) discuss the largest and most important geek-culture convention of the year, San Diego Comic-Con 2018. And while this year’s SDCC was typically light on comic-book-specific news, it offered a cavalcade of new movie and TV trailers, and some really exciting announcements.

Our discussion includes: new trailers for Aquaman, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Glass, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Shazam!, some Star Wars Episode IX news, Disney’s acquisition of Fox, new and disturbing details about the DC Universe streaming service, and more. And as a SPECIAL BONUS, we watch the Titans trailer Live! on the podcast, and share our, um, decidedly strong reactions.

So join us, as we marvel at vast undersea cities, question why Eleven from Stranger Things is in almost every scene of the Godzilla trailer, and try really hard to understand why Robin is so angry at Batman. This...is the Joy of Geek!

The Joy of Geek Podcast, Episode 68:
Ant-Man and The Wasp Review

On this episode of The Joy of Geek Podcast, we (Rich and Kevin) review Ant-Man and The Wasp, the newest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly and directed by Peyton Reed. Ant-Man and the Wasp actually takes place before the events of this past summer’s Avengers: Infinity War, and its stylish brand of action-comedy offers a welcome reprieve from that film’s brutal intensity. We weigh in on all aspects of the film, including the cast of characters, overall narrative, action setpieces, humor and more, and discuss how it compares to its predecessor - 2015’s Ant-Man - as well as the rest of the MCU.

Also on this episode, we discuss some recent news, including: the multiple new Joker films planned for the DCEU, the announcement of a standalone Black Widow film, Steve Ditko, the “Wedding Issue” charade of Batman 50, The Purge TV show, and more. And no episode of the podcast would be complete without a rundown of what we’ve been watching and reading lately, including: Southern Bastards Vol. 4, Doctor Strange by Donny Cates, Batman: White Knight, The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring, HBO’s Sharp Objects, and Take-Two on ABC, to name a few.

So join us, as we take a perilous journey to the quantum realm to acquire quantum energy and save our friend Ghost. Nothing bad could possibly happen, right? Snap. This...is the Joy of Geek!

The Joy of Gaming Podcast, Episode 72:
E3 2018 Press Conference Round-up and Hollow Knight Review

On this episode of The Joy of Gaming Podcast, we (Rich and Jordan) dive headlong into E3 2018 to discuss all of the biggest games and announcements from this year’s convention - including Cyberpunk 2077, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Kingdom Hearts III, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and so much more. We also discuss each of the major E3 press conferences - from Microsoft, Sony, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Nintendo, EA and Square Enix - and offer our thoughts on who had the best showing this year.

And if that wasn’t enough, we round out the festivities with our review of Hollow Knight: a game that was surprise-launched during Nintendo’s E3 Briefing and has completely stolen our hearts in the days since. This is a Metroidvania of the first order, set in the beautifully desolate world of Hallownest and it offers 30-40 hours of side-scrolling / hack-n-slash / platforming action with a bit of Dark Souls thrown in for good measure. In other words, this game is pretty special, so carve out some space in your list of favorite games and check out our review.

So join us, as we offer one-stop shopping for all of your “I wonder what happened at E3 this year” needs. This...is the Joy of Gaming!

The Joy of Geek Podcast, Episode 67:
Exploring the Halls of Junior High Horrors with Rob Potchak, Rob Retiano and Billy Parker

On this special episode of The Joy of Geek Podcast, we (Rich and Kevin) introduce you to the spooky world of Junior High Horrors: and all-ages Horror comic series launching later this year. We recently had an opportunity to interview the creative team - Writer Rob Potchak, and Artists Rob Retiano and Billy Parker - to discuss their individual origin stories, their introduction to comics, and the genesis of Junior High Horrors.

This episode was recorded live at Arkham Comix in Rocky Mount NC, so things do get unpredictable and noisy at times, but this episode offers a unique glimpse into the life of independent comic creators on the road promoting their work. And since this is The Joy of Geek, we also squeeze in some chat about the films, TV shows and comics we've been enjoying lately, as well as what we're looking forward to in the weeks and months to come.

So join us, as we battle our way through thumping background bass and the clatter of after-con table breakdown, all in pursuit of the ultimate interview. This...is The Joy of Geek. Live!